I finally cleaned up my room, put away the sewing projects, got the closet (which is filled to the brim) to close so that my unfinished projects aren't taunting me. I set up a table with all my study materials to take my Architecture Registration Exam tests. There are 7 tests, I haven't started any of them but I hope to complete them in 2 years. I have laid out a rough schedule, and I'm starting officially studying when I get back from NYC. The study plan is 2 hours a night, 3 nights a week, plus extra on the weekends if I feel like it. I will be signing up for my first test soon. They cost $210 a piece which means I need to save up a bit for it and work it into my budget!
I made my favorite rich chocolate ice cream during the week and finally got around to freezing it this weekend. I did the bowl in the freezer with occasional stirring method. The ice cream maker I have is super loud and I don't feel like it actually works that well :/
Rich Chocolate Ice Cream
Combine in saucepan:
1 1/2c heavy cream
1 1/2c whole milk
bring to a boil and whisk in
1/2c cocoa powder
remove from heat and add
4oz chopped dark chocolate (I use the Trader Joe's 72% bar)
In a glass measuring cup whisk together
4 large egg yolks
3/4c granulated sugar
Take 1 cup of the chocolate mixture and pour it into the egg mixture WHILE STIRRING. If you don't stir quickly enough you will cook the egg and end up with bits of scrambled egg! Once the egg/chocolate mixture
is uniformly combined, pour it into the chocolate mixture in the saucepan, while stirring. Then add
1tsp vanilla
Put the custard in the fridge overnight (or 4 hours) and then freeze with your ice cream machine or in a bowl in the freezer stirring frequently until it solidifies and then placing in a closed container.
And now I'm starting a model of a play structure I'm making for the Habitat Gala that I'm trying to help out with, even though I won't be in town for it! I have about a week to finish it and my studying plans begin when I return from NY.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
MED: Minimum Effective Dose + Goals
I'm a Tim Ferris fan. I've read all 3 of his books (well, perused 4 hour work week because architecture doesn't fit into that online typology). He has repeated the idea of doing the minimum effort to get the desired results rather than the maximum amount of work to get the same results.
Less time? I like this concept. I think it doesn't just apply to medicine and work but you should be able to apply this concept to every aspect of your life depending on what you want. I've also been listening to Dave Ramsey a lot and getting these ideas of saving money and building wealth for my future. The latest thing I listened to talked about life being divided into different areas and if you don't give them all attention you'll have a 'flat tire' and it will be bumpy. Those areas are:
Career
Financial
Spiritual
Physical
Intellectual
Family
Social
And the idea is that you have goals you are working on in these areas. Part of my redesigning of my life for the new year was in making a schedule (as well as finding ways to be held socially accountable for some things). My basic schedule looks like this:
Mon
1. Work
2. Gym
3. Work on project
Tuesday
1. Work
2. Boardgame night if I feel like it
3. Make food
Wednesday
1. Work
2. Gym
3. Work on Project
Thursday
1. Work
2. Make food
3. Movie night!
Friday
1. Work
2. Gym
3. Work on Project/ Movie Night!
Saturday
1. Do stuff
Sunday
1. Do stuff
Pretty simple, gym 3 days a week (where I am working on a couch to 5k program I just started). I convinced my coworker to join as well so I can hitch a ride with him and we can keep each other on track for attendance. I am contemplating breaking out the bicycle, but when the ground is covered in frost... it's a hard sell! It will help me save money though, and get in even better shape (we live at the top of a hill!)
Projects:
Lately it was the wedding quilt for my best friend but that is done! The next project is to study for my Architecture Registration Exam for which I haven't signed up yet, but I plan to soon (once I have the $210, so probably March). With a date set, there will be no excuses to not study! Luckily I have a very supportive boyfriend and I have lots of study materials at my fingertips (a bit of an investment a few months ago). So I was thinking about the MED for studying and exercise and enjoying my hobby of food and cooking and I will tweak my schedule if I find I'm not getting enough time for things in but for now this is working out pretty well. Another project is to rearrange my room and clean it up which I should accomplish this weekend to make room for studying as well as to relax my mind! There are saying about when your space is cluttered it is a reflection of your mind and I find this very true. I am much better about regularly cleaning my work desk though and not so much my home 'craft cave'.
I've been feeling kind of overwhelmed with finances lately though but hopefully I will be wrapping those up and having a budget will help me not stress about it. I have an emergency fund that is already making me feel better - but also already burning a hole in my pocket as I think about the upcoming expenses for my trip to New York!
Anyhow, MED and goals for those areas of life. Things to think about!
Career
- Architectural Registration Exam (7 exams @ $210 a piece, must budget and save for!)
- My chocolate company, take online chocolate class (my treat to myself when I finish the architecture exams!)
Financial
- Budget, make one (every month) and stick to it
- Explore cheap food/ meals
Spiritual
- Go to a UU service in town
- Practice making chocolates (State of Flow!)
Physical
- Complete the couch to 5k program
Intellectual
- Practice Italian on duolingo
- Read more books (rather than internet and magazines!)
- Play more boardgames
Family
- Spend time with brother
- Visit mom in Bend (perhaps in the Spring)
Social
- Host a dinner party (scheduled for March!)
- Go to boardgame nights
- Attend more meetups
- Stay in town more weekends, work on making new friends!
Less time? I like this concept. I think it doesn't just apply to medicine and work but you should be able to apply this concept to every aspect of your life depending on what you want. I've also been listening to Dave Ramsey a lot and getting these ideas of saving money and building wealth for my future. The latest thing I listened to talked about life being divided into different areas and if you don't give them all attention you'll have a 'flat tire' and it will be bumpy. Those areas are:
Career
Financial
Spiritual
Physical
Intellectual
Family
Social
And the idea is that you have goals you are working on in these areas. Part of my redesigning of my life for the new year was in making a schedule (as well as finding ways to be held socially accountable for some things). My basic schedule looks like this:
Mon
1. Work
2. Gym
3. Work on project
Tuesday
1. Work
2. Boardgame night if I feel like it
3. Make food
Wednesday
1. Work
2. Gym
3. Work on Project
Thursday
1. Work
2. Make food
3. Movie night!
Friday
1. Work
2. Gym
3. Work on Project/ Movie Night!
Saturday
1. Do stuff
Sunday
1. Do stuff
Pretty simple, gym 3 days a week (where I am working on a couch to 5k program I just started). I convinced my coworker to join as well so I can hitch a ride with him and we can keep each other on track for attendance. I am contemplating breaking out the bicycle, but when the ground is covered in frost... it's a hard sell! It will help me save money though, and get in even better shape (we live at the top of a hill!)
Projects:
Lately it was the wedding quilt for my best friend but that is done! The next project is to study for my Architecture Registration Exam for which I haven't signed up yet, but I plan to soon (once I have the $210, so probably March). With a date set, there will be no excuses to not study! Luckily I have a very supportive boyfriend and I have lots of study materials at my fingertips (a bit of an investment a few months ago). So I was thinking about the MED for studying and exercise and enjoying my hobby of food and cooking and I will tweak my schedule if I find I'm not getting enough time for things in but for now this is working out pretty well. Another project is to rearrange my room and clean it up which I should accomplish this weekend to make room for studying as well as to relax my mind! There are saying about when your space is cluttered it is a reflection of your mind and I find this very true. I am much better about regularly cleaning my work desk though and not so much my home 'craft cave'.
I've been feeling kind of overwhelmed with finances lately though but hopefully I will be wrapping those up and having a budget will help me not stress about it. I have an emergency fund that is already making me feel better - but also already burning a hole in my pocket as I think about the upcoming expenses for my trip to New York!
Anyhow, MED and goals for those areas of life. Things to think about!
Career
- Architectural Registration Exam (7 exams @ $210 a piece, must budget and save for!)
- My chocolate company, take online chocolate class (my treat to myself when I finish the architecture exams!)
Financial
- Budget, make one (every month) and stick to it
- Explore cheap food/ meals
Spiritual
- Go to a UU service in town
- Practice making chocolates (State of Flow!)
Physical
- Complete the couch to 5k program
Intellectual
- Practice Italian on duolingo
- Read more books (rather than internet and magazines!)
- Play more boardgames
Family
- Spend time with brother
- Visit mom in Bend (perhaps in the Spring)
Social
- Host a dinner party (scheduled for March!)
- Go to boardgame nights
- Attend more meetups
- Stay in town more weekends, work on making new friends!
W1D1
I just completed Week 1 Day 1 of the Couch to 5K plan!
At the 5k I got my family to do for Thanksgiving, my step sister won free entry to the Summer Solstice 5k but she lives in Delaware so it wouldn't have been very useful to her! I traded her the gingerbread house kit that I won in the raffle. My goal is to run the whole thing. I have done a 5k and run part of it, and I've done a 10k and walked most of it. The 5k that I actually ran most of though was way back in 2006!
Last night I made some Moroccan Chicken in the slow cooker and I woke up this morning to a house filled with the aroma of cooking chicken, raisins and cinnamon. I picked up some garbanzo beans and couscous which it was missing when I had it for lunch today. Also I made banana bread last night. It's so nice to have a home full of food! I have written up a budget and I will be cooking much more at home to save money. When I did a rough budget following the Dave Ramsey baby steps it will take me about 4 years to pay off my student loans and have a 3-6 month emergency fund and that's *before* I start saving up for the down payment! By then I should have a higher income... I hope. And eventually my boyfriend will finish school and find a job and we'll have more earning power together! Yay! Meanwhile... rice and beans :)
At the 5k I got my family to do for Thanksgiving, my step sister won free entry to the Summer Solstice 5k but she lives in Delaware so it wouldn't have been very useful to her! I traded her the gingerbread house kit that I won in the raffle. My goal is to run the whole thing. I have done a 5k and run part of it, and I've done a 10k and walked most of it. The 5k that I actually ran most of though was way back in 2006!
Last night I made some Moroccan Chicken in the slow cooker and I woke up this morning to a house filled with the aroma of cooking chicken, raisins and cinnamon. I picked up some garbanzo beans and couscous which it was missing when I had it for lunch today. Also I made banana bread last night. It's so nice to have a home full of food! I have written up a budget and I will be cooking much more at home to save money. When I did a rough budget following the Dave Ramsey baby steps it will take me about 4 years to pay off my student loans and have a 3-6 month emergency fund and that's *before* I start saving up for the down payment! By then I should have a higher income... I hope. And eventually my boyfriend will finish school and find a job and we'll have more earning power together! Yay! Meanwhile... rice and beans :)
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Chocolate Fest Portland 2013
Attending a chocolate festival has been on my bucket list for a long time but it seemed that every time I searched for one in my current city I had always *just* missed it! Not this time, I googled chocolate festivals several months ago and put Portland's Chocolate Fest on my calendar for the weekend of January 18-20th several months ago. I didn't know what to expect having never been to a chocolate show before but I was pleasantly surprised and also appreciated the discounted prices and plentiful samples from the abundance of exhibitors.
Below are reviews of the more notable tasting experiences I had. Most of the companies present were from Portland with a few from Seattle and California, a very local event and a benefit for the World Forest Center. Forests and chocolate, how could you not support an event like this?!
Smitten-Truffles These were some of the best truffles I had at the show, I actually bought a box of 12 truffles they were that good! The taste tests were just tiny spoonfuls of the ganache filling from 4 different flavors they had out. The Kalamansi + Creme Honey was surprisingly tasty with a strong citrus flavor from these Philipino fruits was nicely paired with the sweetness of the honey. There was also a vanilla and salted caramel, a contemporary classic flavor pairing that was sublime on my tongue.
Arrowhead Chocolates - I grabbed a card because I liked thier truffles, but I can't recall what I liked specifically :/ next year I will be taking notes!
George Paul Chocolates - From Seattle this company was started when George made chocolates for his girlfriend, she took some to work and a co-worker asked him to provide chocolates for her wedding and from there George ventured into the chocolate business. The bar I tasted was a milk chocolate coconut curry that was delicious however the chocolate was only sold in bar form, you couldn't buy the cute little bean shaped tasters he had out. If I could have purchased a bag of these bean shaped chocolates, I would have! Also his story was inspiring for my own dreams of a chocolate company, I have a ways to go though :)
Cocotutti - Last year's winner of the people's choice award these guys had a great variety and tasty, tiny samples. That was my favorite part! They somehow made tiny (1cm square) filled truffles for sampling. I would have loved to buy a box of these tiny truffles but they were just for samples! I'm noticing a trend in my attraction to chocolate in small sizes!
The Great Unbaked - Raw chocolates that were super delicious. I purchased a single orange-dark chocolate truffle that I look forward to savoring. It's nice to see a chocolate that is raw, dairy-free, gluten-free (though all chocolate ought to be GF!) and non-GMO! It would be great to eat this chocolate all the time and not be worried about the sugars and other ingredients that you want to avoid. I have a few friends who I think would love these chocolates, perhaps next year, when i go with the anticipation of spending, I will pick some up for those friends :)
IKEA - They had their collection of chocolate bars out for tasting, I tried the milk chocolate dark chocolate and a mint chocolate bar. They were all tasty but if I'm looking for fancy chocolates I would go elsewhere. It wasn't anything special.
Kallari - I was most excited about the business structure of this bar. It is the only farmer owned chocolate bar in the world. All of the proceeds go back to the farmer! They had a 70% (my favorite) 75% and an 85% bar. No fancy flavors, just quality beans and the most fair-trade bar you can get.
Scharffen Berger - This San Francisco company has been known for it's quality chocolate bars for a long time, and what I was most excited about was the public survey they were doing for a new line of truffles and bars! They asked about the packaging and shape of truffle people would choose as well as a choice of wording to be put on their packaging. That was fun and I signed up to be part of future focus groups! I would love to be a regular in chocolate focus groups! Hopefully that happens soon :)
Chocolate Rouge Wine - I had seen this in the grocery store and was always curious but afraid to buy an entire bottle. I can see the appeal and I know there is a market for this (I think my mom would love it!) but it just didn't do it for me. I started with the dark red and I could taste the notes of chocolate but it was a little too dry. Then on to the sweet red which was better, smoother but not a wine I would want a whole glass of, let alone an entire bottle! Then the blended chocolate and red wine, it was like Bailey's (which is how the guy pouring described it) but it had the bitter kick of red wine whereas Bailey's, to me, is sweet and creamy. I am glad I got to taste these wines, because it quenched my curiosity, but I won't be purchasing them.
As far as my own chocolate business I plan to open someday, I'm feeling both more inspired and also realizing that I have a long ways to go to be professional! Hearing the story of George Paul, I'm also realizing that I will need some kind of 'break' to push me into production. meanwhile, I will continue to try new chocolates (when I'm in New York in February I will be giving myself a chocolate tour of the city and hopefully bringing back a selection!).
Another thing that amazed me with the large number of chocolate companies there was how each one has carved itself a niche from raw and vegan to unique flavors and quality design with quality chocolate, knowing what makes you unique is a great way to stand out in a room full of people who are selling the same product as you. This was a great experience and I will definitely be going back, and hopefully attending more food shows in the future!
There were also reps for a couple companies that follow the Tupperware model of in home parties, one for kitchen supplies where the woman comes and bakes something and everyone goes home with a sample of food (who doesn't like that?!) I'll be looking into hosting some, but I think I will wait until the Spring.
TL;DR I will be going back next year, with more cash!
Below are reviews of the more notable tasting experiences I had. Most of the companies present were from Portland with a few from Seattle and California, a very local event and a benefit for the World Forest Center. Forests and chocolate, how could you not support an event like this?!
Smitten-Truffles These were some of the best truffles I had at the show, I actually bought a box of 12 truffles they were that good! The taste tests were just tiny spoonfuls of the ganache filling from 4 different flavors they had out. The Kalamansi + Creme Honey was surprisingly tasty with a strong citrus flavor from these Philipino fruits was nicely paired with the sweetness of the honey. There was also a vanilla and salted caramel, a contemporary classic flavor pairing that was sublime on my tongue.
Arrowhead Chocolates - I grabbed a card because I liked thier truffles, but I can't recall what I liked specifically :/ next year I will be taking notes!
George Paul Chocolates - From Seattle this company was started when George made chocolates for his girlfriend, she took some to work and a co-worker asked him to provide chocolates for her wedding and from there George ventured into the chocolate business. The bar I tasted was a milk chocolate coconut curry that was delicious however the chocolate was only sold in bar form, you couldn't buy the cute little bean shaped tasters he had out. If I could have purchased a bag of these bean shaped chocolates, I would have! Also his story was inspiring for my own dreams of a chocolate company, I have a ways to go though :)
Cocotutti - Last year's winner of the people's choice award these guys had a great variety and tasty, tiny samples. That was my favorite part! They somehow made tiny (1cm square) filled truffles for sampling. I would have loved to buy a box of these tiny truffles but they were just for samples! I'm noticing a trend in my attraction to chocolate in small sizes!
The Great Unbaked - Raw chocolates that were super delicious. I purchased a single orange-dark chocolate truffle that I look forward to savoring. It's nice to see a chocolate that is raw, dairy-free, gluten-free (though all chocolate ought to be GF!) and non-GMO! It would be great to eat this chocolate all the time and not be worried about the sugars and other ingredients that you want to avoid. I have a few friends who I think would love these chocolates, perhaps next year, when i go with the anticipation of spending, I will pick some up for those friends :)
IKEA - They had their collection of chocolate bars out for tasting, I tried the milk chocolate dark chocolate and a mint chocolate bar. They were all tasty but if I'm looking for fancy chocolates I would go elsewhere. It wasn't anything special.
Kallari - I was most excited about the business structure of this bar. It is the only farmer owned chocolate bar in the world. All of the proceeds go back to the farmer! They had a 70% (my favorite) 75% and an 85% bar. No fancy flavors, just quality beans and the most fair-trade bar you can get.
Scharffen Berger - This San Francisco company has been known for it's quality chocolate bars for a long time, and what I was most excited about was the public survey they were doing for a new line of truffles and bars! They asked about the packaging and shape of truffle people would choose as well as a choice of wording to be put on their packaging. That was fun and I signed up to be part of future focus groups! I would love to be a regular in chocolate focus groups! Hopefully that happens soon :)
Chocolate Rouge Wine - I had seen this in the grocery store and was always curious but afraid to buy an entire bottle. I can see the appeal and I know there is a market for this (I think my mom would love it!) but it just didn't do it for me. I started with the dark red and I could taste the notes of chocolate but it was a little too dry. Then on to the sweet red which was better, smoother but not a wine I would want a whole glass of, let alone an entire bottle! Then the blended chocolate and red wine, it was like Bailey's (which is how the guy pouring described it) but it had the bitter kick of red wine whereas Bailey's, to me, is sweet and creamy. I am glad I got to taste these wines, because it quenched my curiosity, but I won't be purchasing them.
As far as my own chocolate business I plan to open someday, I'm feeling both more inspired and also realizing that I have a long ways to go to be professional! Hearing the story of George Paul, I'm also realizing that I will need some kind of 'break' to push me into production. meanwhile, I will continue to try new chocolates (when I'm in New York in February I will be giving myself a chocolate tour of the city and hopefully bringing back a selection!).
Another thing that amazed me with the large number of chocolate companies there was how each one has carved itself a niche from raw and vegan to unique flavors and quality design with quality chocolate, knowing what makes you unique is a great way to stand out in a room full of people who are selling the same product as you. This was a great experience and I will definitely be going back, and hopefully attending more food shows in the future!
There were also reps for a couple companies that follow the Tupperware model of in home parties, one for kitchen supplies where the woman comes and bakes something and everyone goes home with a sample of food (who doesn't like that?!) I'll be looking into hosting some, but I think I will wait until the Spring.
TL;DR I will be going back next year, with more cash!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Grocery Spending - September
While I love spreadsheets... tracking groceries is a little tricky. This is all stuff we purchased in September, however some of these things are still in our cabinet/freezer so it's hard to say that they were 'for September' when they weren't consumed in the same month. However having these items on hand will theoretically cheaper grocery bills in the following month because I already have things. It's hard to say. I think I'll get a better idea of grocery budget after a few months. Meanwhile I keep all my receipts and try to log them right after the grocery shopping trip (or else I forget what I got and the shorthand of the cash register may be indecipherable!)
TOTAL* $638.86
Alcohol $103.11
Coffeeshop $14.31
Dairy $16.44
Eggs $15.99
Fats $16.84
Fruit $66.28
Liquids $26.33
Meat $112.89
Nuts + Seeds $24.39
Restaurants $100.07
Spices $18.93
Sweets $29.64
Veggies $87.72 + $80 (167.72)
supplies $5.93
*I don't have all the receipts from my fella's spending on food out of the house. Also we have a CSA that we already paid for that adds about $20/ week, so for the month of September that adds about $80 bucks to the veggie budget. But like I mentioned at the beginning of the post, it was paid for in June and August (split the payment into two parts) so it's hard to count now. I guess it really depends on what I want to get out of this tracking.
Here is a list of pretty much all the food we bought categorized. Looks like alcohol and meat are our big budget areas. Trying to eat healthy, on a mostly Paleo diet it makes sense that meat would be a high category... but this also sheds light on our eating habits. A little too much alcohol (I'm tying this while sipping my second Crispin Hard Cider, have I mentioned how much I love Crispin brand?)
$640 for two people doesn't seem like that much in comparison to that I used to spend $400-$500/month for just myself. I can see in these numbers that the alcohol consumption is a little higher than I would like, fruit consumption is not as bad as I thought and I need to figure some better labels. Should eggs be their own category? What category should coconut milk fall into? Perhaps I could also break things down into Paleo and non-paleo spending. That'd be a good indicator as well if I'm staying on budget both financially and caloric-ally Hmm. Any other thoughts on how to organize things?
I feel like keeping track of food at this scale, and relating it to finances is going to help keep things clearer in my goals of saving money and heating healthy. This was the first full month... so we'll see how things go as I collect more data!
One additional thing that I like about doing this spreadsheet is it makes me more aware of how much things cost and where I get the best deal. This way, when I see something on sale, like I did with coconut milk at Uwajimaya, I know it's a good deal because I've been paying close attention to the price of things. Even between Trader Joe's and Winco (coconut oil is cheaper at TJ's btw, by 50 cents). I try to get recepits for everything now and I also compare with my mint.com account tracking what I bought on my cards (mostly restaurant purchases) and what I have written down in my spreadsheets (both for food, and in my monthly budget spreadsheet I hope to write about another time, it's helped put my spending into perspective.
TOTAL* $638.86
Alcohol $103.11
Coffeeshop $14.31
Dairy $16.44
Eggs $15.99
Fats $16.84
Fruit $66.28
Liquids $26.33
Meat $112.89
Nuts + Seeds $24.39
Restaurants $100.07
Spices $18.93
Sweets $29.64
Veggies $87.72 + $80 (167.72)
supplies $5.93
*I don't have all the receipts from my fella's spending on food out of the house. Also we have a CSA that we already paid for that adds about $20/ week, so for the month of September that adds about $80 bucks to the veggie budget. But like I mentioned at the beginning of the post, it was paid for in June and August (split the payment into two parts) so it's hard to count now. I guess it really depends on what I want to get out of this tracking.
Here is a list of pretty much all the food we bought categorized. Looks like alcohol and meat are our big budget areas. Trying to eat healthy, on a mostly Paleo diet it makes sense that meat would be a high category... but this also sheds light on our eating habits. A little too much alcohol (I'm tying this while sipping my second Crispin Hard Cider, have I mentioned how much I love Crispin brand?)
$640 for two people doesn't seem like that much in comparison to that I used to spend $400-$500/month for just myself. I can see in these numbers that the alcohol consumption is a little higher than I would like, fruit consumption is not as bad as I thought and I need to figure some better labels. Should eggs be their own category? What category should coconut milk fall into? Perhaps I could also break things down into Paleo and non-paleo spending. That'd be a good indicator as well if I'm staying on budget both financially and caloric-ally Hmm. Any other thoughts on how to organize things?
I feel like keeping track of food at this scale, and relating it to finances is going to help keep things clearer in my goals of saving money and heating healthy. This was the first full month... so we'll see how things go as I collect more data!
One additional thing that I like about doing this spreadsheet is it makes me more aware of how much things cost and where I get the best deal. This way, when I see something on sale, like I did with coconut milk at Uwajimaya, I know it's a good deal because I've been paying close attention to the price of things. Even between Trader Joe's and Winco (coconut oil is cheaper at TJ's btw, by 50 cents). I try to get recepits for everything now and I also compare with my mint.com account tracking what I bought on my cards (mostly restaurant purchases) and what I have written down in my spreadsheets (both for food, and in my monthly budget spreadsheet I hope to write about another time, it's helped put my spending into perspective.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Recommended Books
I have recently been reading Make Shift Happen, by Dean Dwyer and Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. I highly recommend both!
Make Shift Happen is all about changing how you think. He uses examples outside of the fat loss world to show you how your thinking cash hold you back or help you get ahead. I found it very inspiring for my life, not just fat loss. The shifts that had the most profound impact for me were:
#17 Think in beta: Consider that you are the beta version of yourself right now, testing to see what works for you and what doesn't and once you test drive some theories, you will upgrade to You 2.0. Following the lead of software engineers where the dream of perfection doesn't get in the way of getting started but rather pushes them to create something that functions but has bugs that will get worked out after being used to figure out what changes to make. This excited me not only for fat loss and realizing that there is no set plan for my body and lifestyle and it will take me some time to figure out weekday works best for me...
I also saw it in my desire to sew. I love sewing and fabrics and dreaming up images of clothes I would make... But the fear of failure along with wishing my body had a different more "fashion" shape has prevented me from even starting. I have been living in places with space to sew, finally, for 11 months now and not sewn a single item of clothing. This has not stopped me from buying fabric and sewing patterns! For some reason, the thought that seeing clothes for the body i have now can NE a beta period of testing out not only fashion but also my sewing skills (which will only improve the more sewing i do) means that when I do have my dream body, by then I will have developed superior sewing skills and will be able to make even better garments (or alter garments I had already made to adjust to my new body!)
#8 Be 911. Could you save yourself in the event of disaster? Could you save a loved one? He writes about survival and what it means physically to be able to save yourself (endurance running, pullups, pushups, swimming 1 km, etc.) And saving a loved one (carrying 80 pounds for a distance, pulling 180 pounds of dead weight). If you needed to pull someone out of the water to safety could you do it? His entire exercise regimen, while being under 30 minutes, another shift, is designed with survival in mind. This gives your workouts a purpose. Not just mindlessly riding a stationary bike and watching the news, but focusing intensely on your workout and knowing you ate working towards a goal that could mean life or death to you our someone you love. Pretty much blew my mind.
There are other shifts that have been inspiring as well, but I don't want to give it all away :)
Practical Paleo has way more than just recipes. She explains the digestion process and how grains, legumes and sugar effect your digestion, mood and body. It also includes several reference sheets to help sum up fats, foods to eat, and a carb index showing you where to get carbohydrates from vegetables. I found her one sheet references on her website before I got the book at Balanced Bites.After some serious GI tract issues last month I am all about healing my gut and the first half of her book explains the science of digestion and HOW TO FIX IT! This is important! I've only just started reading it and flipped a bit through the recipes which look delicious.
Make Shift Happen is all about changing how you think. He uses examples outside of the fat loss world to show you how your thinking cash hold you back or help you get ahead. I found it very inspiring for my life, not just fat loss. The shifts that had the most profound impact for me were:
#17 Think in beta: Consider that you are the beta version of yourself right now, testing to see what works for you and what doesn't and once you test drive some theories, you will upgrade to You 2.0. Following the lead of software engineers where the dream of perfection doesn't get in the way of getting started but rather pushes them to create something that functions but has bugs that will get worked out after being used to figure out what changes to make. This excited me not only for fat loss and realizing that there is no set plan for my body and lifestyle and it will take me some time to figure out weekday works best for me...
I also saw it in my desire to sew. I love sewing and fabrics and dreaming up images of clothes I would make... But the fear of failure along with wishing my body had a different more "fashion" shape has prevented me from even starting. I have been living in places with space to sew, finally, for 11 months now and not sewn a single item of clothing. This has not stopped me from buying fabric and sewing patterns! For some reason, the thought that seeing clothes for the body i have now can NE a beta period of testing out not only fashion but also my sewing skills (which will only improve the more sewing i do) means that when I do have my dream body, by then I will have developed superior sewing skills and will be able to make even better garments (or alter garments I had already made to adjust to my new body!)
#8 Be 911. Could you save yourself in the event of disaster? Could you save a loved one? He writes about survival and what it means physically to be able to save yourself (endurance running, pullups, pushups, swimming 1 km, etc.) And saving a loved one (carrying 80 pounds for a distance, pulling 180 pounds of dead weight). If you needed to pull someone out of the water to safety could you do it? His entire exercise regimen, while being under 30 minutes, another shift, is designed with survival in mind. This gives your workouts a purpose. Not just mindlessly riding a stationary bike and watching the news, but focusing intensely on your workout and knowing you ate working towards a goal that could mean life or death to you our someone you love. Pretty much blew my mind.
There are other shifts that have been inspiring as well, but I don't want to give it all away :)
Practical Paleo has way more than just recipes. She explains the digestion process and how grains, legumes and sugar effect your digestion, mood and body. It also includes several reference sheets to help sum up fats, foods to eat, and a carb index showing you where to get carbohydrates from vegetables. I found her one sheet references on her website before I got the book at Balanced Bites.After some serious GI tract issues last month I am all about healing my gut and the first half of her book explains the science of digestion and HOW TO FIX IT! This is important! I've only just started reading it and flipped a bit through the recipes which look delicious.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
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